Kithcart was nominated for the community service and public education award by a family friend, who noted his firefighting and community efforts while raising a family of five children and assisting an ill wife.

The award was presented by Barbara Cercone and Carrie Taylor of Liberty Mutual.

Recognize firefighters

Twenty years ago, Liberty Mutual began the local award program to recognize firefighters throughout the nation who best represent their communities through courageous acts and who best demonstrate the firefighter's selfless spirit.

The award took its name from the “firemark” — a leaden plate in the form of a phoenix rising from the ashes, which American fire offices in the 18th and 19th centuries used to mark the houses they insured.